People on Sheares Bridge in front of the two durians bidding farewell to LKY. It was a very wet day.

6/01/2011

I did not ask for it

Hypothetically, or just my imagination, when the huge increments and pay were thrown at the lap of the President, could his eyes pop out and follow by a grumble, ‘Why so much? I didn’t ask for it.’ Nathan is a simple man, nothing ostentatious in his lifestyle, and probably very happy with his banana leaf fish head curry. He has never been seen as someone who would flaunt his wealth, spending wildly. Neither is his wife. Both very decent people living quite a simple lifestyle.

The millions of dollars thrown at him would probably go into his bank accounts and never see daylight. I am being presumptious of course. My point is that we are paying too much for a non executive president. We are not living in a kingdom where blue blooded aliens must be kept to live very well from the taxes paid by the people.

Also, whoever is elected to this high office, he is likely to be a man that is held in high esteem by the people, and unlikely to be corrupted. So no need to pay him an out of this world salary to keep his fingers away from the coffer. Anyway, his position is unlikely to get him too close to where the money is kept. The idea of paying an officer a lot of money to keep him from becoming corrupt is demeaning to such an office. For all its honour and dignity, this concept must be taken out of the equation when the good office of the Presidency is concerned.

Paying people to prevent them from corruption should be kept at those levels where people are likely to do so. I still got this funny feeling that the whole reasoning is foul, at least I can smell that something is not right.

I hope the Salary Review Committee will take the Presidency out of the package and deal with it separately, away from the stigma and idea of corruption. The thought of a president that is incorruptible may be a bit idealistic. But the safeguard is the office of CPIB, watching everyone to keep them honest.

I share your view that the Prez. is as confused and dumbfounded as you are as to why he is "forced" to receive such a big increment.

Many who are employed in the current "Hire and Fire" working environment would be happy if their employers just gave them a little token for past loyalty and hard work. If their employers were as generous as the President's, I think most employees would not mind kowtowing one hundred times to heaven and give thanks for divine providence of good fortune. They wouldn't even mind getting their daughters to call their employers god daddy!

I concur he is a simple man, probably too simple for the job if you ask me.

We need someone like OTC, whose architectural mind is always creatively thinking of new ways to make the presidential office meaningful and thus we saw the fatal head on collision he had. If he was as simple as our current one, then OTC may still probably be around and his lymphoma in remission due to the reduction of stress from doing nothing. Yup, nothing at all. Just kissing babies, shaking hands and appearing serious and learned when receiving foreign dignitaries or giving out medals and awards for this or that.

Heck, he could really be enjoying his stay in the palace instead of fading away in ignominy.

There is no point to have CPIB because it reports to the PM who is the head of a government that has no complete accountability and transparency. Having a CPIB is just wayang unless it reports to the people approved committee comprising all levels of people.

Really, what do you expect CPIB do if the boss is not accountable and transparent to the people?

The President MUST BE the people's man. One man that comes to my mind that has retain some cultural(Oriental) value is Ngiam Tong Dow. This man talked about cultural root and oriental values. He has witnessed the demise of cultural traits and he lamented about their losses.I wish he will participate in the Election for the Next President.There is nothing worthy to talk about the Incumbent One. In the words of some of the observant ones here, he is too simple a folk and is always lead by the nose to follow like a blind man.

Nathan is used to the good life as a senior bureaucrat earning million dollar salary. He wouldn't take the job for less than the amount he got as a civil servant. Now, he is even richer ...pension from civil service, presidential pay and another pension.Don't believe that all these people in power are there to serve ...the money is too good to refuse the job.

Can I conclude that in SIN, whether there is a president or no president, it does not make the slightest difference.Why Singaporeans have to pay for a figurehead that contributes nothing to them is beyond anybody in the World, including the President himself; I am sure.BUT, the money and the glory, whew! Even a moron will envy.

There are many things we do not need. GRCs, GST, foreign workers by the hundreds of thousands and most redundant of all, a figurehead President.

But all have been thought of mainly to preserve the PAP dynasty and make sure no one can usurp the hand on the reserves. Hence all the rules and regulations for making sure that the President that gets elected or installed basically thinks like the PAP.

How else can they allow someone who thinks differently? Like Ong Teng Cheong, he will not survive.

So, this coming Presidential election, whoever it is that gets elected, I bet it will be just more of the same, but in a more people pleasing package that is already causing an unnecessary stir.

Forgive my pessimism, but I also believe in track records, and the records speaks for themselves.

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